Coastal Hospice & Palliative Care is requesting the community’s support to help them honor the veterans in its care on the Lower Shore.
Coastal Hospice has traditionally provided lap blankets, donated by the community, to give added comfort and warmth to patients. A request for blankets last year prompted an overwhelming response.
This year, Coastal Hospice is making a special appeal for blankets in patriotic motifs — including red/white/blue themes, stars and stripes, etc. — to be given to patients who are veterans.
Coastal Hospice is active in the “We Honor Veterans” program, developed in partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs, providing specialized care to veterans who are facing a life-limiting illness, often addressing a specific need related to the veteran’s military service. Currently, Coastal Hospice has more than 30 veterans in its care.
Coastal Hospice plans to start giving these blankets to veteran patients on Nov. 11, Veteran’s Day, and will continue to use them throughout the year as veterans enter hospice care.
“We want to make every day Veterans’s Day for our veteran patients at Coastal Hospice,” said Nancy Stewart, coordinator for the We Honor Veterans program. “Many veterans that gave so much were never welcomed or honored when they came home. This is a small way to acknowledge how grateful we are for the service they gave.”
Most appropriate are knitted, crocheted, quilted or fleece lap blankets. The blankets must be new, and can be either handmade or purchased. The ideal size is approximately 36×42 inches. There is also a continuing need for non-patriotic blankets for hospice patients.
Donations are being accepted during regular business hours at the Coastal Hospice main office at 2604 Old Ocean City Road in Salisbury or at Coastal Hospice at the Ocean at 10441 Racetrack Road, Taylorville Center, in Berlin.
More information is available from Elaine Bean, Coastal Hospice community relations manager, at 410-742-8732.
Founded in 1980, Coastal Hospice is a nonprofit health care organization that cares for individuals facing life-limiting conditions and who want to remain as active and engaged as possible. Coastal Hospice cares for patients in their home, nursing home, assisted living facility or at Coastal Hospice at the Lake. The organization serves Wicomico, Worcester, Dorchester and Somerset counties.
